Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-01-10


gated, among them Senator Brown and
Senator William woodward, and pleas
ant half hour Is passed in discussing good
dinner and political topics of interest.
Rayenswood is lively little city of !, 500
inhabitants and seems to have many of
the elements of future greatness. The
town lies well, has rich and productive
country behind it, and with the railroad
in active operation, must soon make de-
cided increase in its population. We left
at ! 80 p. m, and twenty minutes later,
near Pleasant View, passed the coy resi-
dence of Captain Williamson, who achiey-
ed both fame and fortune by drawing
SIS, 900 out of the Louisiana State Lottery
on a cash investment OF s.. Below Pleas
ant View the road runs half mile back
from the river, skirting some low, rolling
hills in graceful curves, with rich farming
lands lying out toward the stream, form
ing what is called Worth Bottom. A little
farther and the train passed the
largest tract of timber now
standing along the Ohio-a block
OF 1900 acres belonging to Baltimore
millionaire. He will neither sell it nor
allow a stick of timber to be cut from it,
and it lies there year after year, the home
of innumerable squirrels and the resort of
hunters for miles up and down the Ohio.
Locally it is known as ''the big woods
and as the train ran along its edge for
mile and a half it seemed to deserve the
appellatiOn.
The next station passed was Ripley
Landing at 3:47. A fine depot building is
going up here. Just below we cross Big
Mill Creek, and then comes Letart. Just
aboS Letart an amusing incident occurred.
4 school house adorned the hill short
distance above the track, and rs the
train came abreast Of the temple
OF learning the pupils cast their
books to the merry winds, tiguratively
speaking, and made wild rush for the
windows. This for moment, and then
sashes were thrown up with bang, and
from every opening an assortment Of big
and little boys and girls fairly boiled out
upon the snow-covered ground and started
in mad gallop for the cars, which had
come to stand quarter ola mile away.
By the time the teacher had reached the
door the young ideas committed TO his care
were distributed in long procession down
the track, and even the smallest kid of
them all never drew up till the goal was
reached.
The train arrived at Letart at 1925.
There are two towns of the same name, one
on either side of the river, and both are
attractive places. Here the scenes narrated
as occurring at the school house, were re-
peated, while the entire population crowd
ed about the cars. 1t was at Letart that
the steamer Sidney exploded her steam
pipes, with such disastrous consequences,
some four years ago. At the narrOws, Just
below the town, the Company had some of
its hardest work to obtain stable bed for
the rails, but the undertaking was at last
accomplished. The country from here
down to Graham Station is very fine. The
bottoms are often mile wide, with the
railroad running right down the centre of
them, and the view from the cars will he
worth going TO see in summer. This is
said, also, to be a fine country for partridge
and pheasant shooting, and it looks as if
the reputation was deserved.
Graham is opposite Racine, o. When the
train drew up at the station the inhabit-
ants had swung the bright folds of large
American flag to the breeze from the top of
a forty-foOt pole, and were jubilating over
the arrival Of the cars in 4 rather boisterous
way. Anxious enquiries were made about
the mails here, as well us mt points above.
The people are completely cut of from the
outside world, and know little of what
is transporting. After leaving the station we
struck the prettiest piece of track in ten
az afnh hn
extension as straight rs All arrow for
Il mile, but here we hit upon a
solid two miles of track as straight
as broomstick We passed q
man walking along, after running aquar-
ter of mile or so on it, and it was pleas
ant to sit and smoke and watch that plod-
ding unfortunate grow small by degrees
and beautifully less until the rails seemed
to meet in point and he was blotted out
by the inability of the eye to longer dis
tingush him. 1t isa fine stretch OF track,
but it must be awfully discOuraging TO a
pedestrian 10 round curve and look down
that long avenue of parallel rails; he can
see too far.
At New Haven, twenty miles from PIT.
Pleasant, we strike the first coal seam
since leaving Cresape's Grove, and the
country at once lOoses its pastoral feature
and takes on distinctive manufacturing
air. The valley is fairly dotted with salt
wells and half covered with salt ware
houses, and the very atmosphere seemed
to be impregnated with the briBy fluid,
which is pumped from depth Of l,200
feet. At Hartford, and at Mason City
opposite POmerOy, the whole population
came out TO greet the train, and there
was general rejoicing over the completion
of the road, some of the young men getting
out an anvil and firing salute rs the
train came to q stand. PomerOy is the
terminus of the Hooking Valley Railroad,
and from there down to Middleport, to
which place the Clifton mill was removed,
there is one continuous town. On the " est
Virginia side the population is quite heavy
also. the coal works and salt concerns Civ
inn employment TO many people. At
Clifton big brick smoke stack alone re-
mains to mark the location of the nail
mill, looming up like a monument in the |
evening twilight The train next passed |
West Columbia, and Camden City, where |
an immenee coal works, the property OF
J. n. Camden, is in operation, |
and large tippe is in process of con-
structiOn. Passing Makers Station, we
soon came to the p. S. Lewis farm of 1900
acres, adjoining Point Pleasant, and a few
later, at 5I45 o'clock, we rolled |
quietly into the ancient capital of Mason
county, and pulled up at the Kanawha
and Ohio junction, to the great surprise of
the entire population, the train not being |
expected before Saturday. The party OH
board lost no time in quartering them
selves at the Stortz House, where good
supper speedily repaired the fatigue of the
extended trip. Here had the pleasure of
meeting many agreeable gentlemen, among
them Judge G. p. T. Moore, Governor G.
w. Murdoch, Mr.. NJ. +. Tracey, Mr.. A.
c. Van Glider, Mr.. Tippett of the Register,
attorney J. H. Couch, Jr., ex-senator p.
c. Estham, J. l.. Charles, T. S. Marshal
Sehon, and number of other very clever
people.
THE FUTURE.
The feeling of satisfaction all along the
line at the running of trains, is general.
With navigation closed by reason of heavy |
ice, the people of the region between Par
kcrsburg and PIT. Pleasant are complete